What is up for the Ah Sweet Mystery blog in 2026? Some of that is a mystery even to me! You never know what may be right around the corner, waiting for us to discover it! Still, there are a few things things I’d like to share that I hope will whet your whistle as much as they do mine and keep you coming back to check things out. 

REVIEWS

I guess reviews are a blogger’s bread and butter, but I don’t see myself as simply a reviewer – and if I am, I’m a sorry excuse for one. The truth is – I don’t read books speedily enough to be of much help to those seeking an early review; plus, most of the books I read are somewhere between fifty and a hundred years old! Still, you can be sure I’ll cover what I can to the best of my ability. 

In terms of classic mysteries, I dipped my toe last year into the world of mid-century mystery and domestic suspense, and I find myself craving more of Charlotte Armstrong, Celia Fremlin (my Secret Santa sent me FOUR Fremlins!), Margaret Millar, Juanita Sheridan and Cornell Woolrich. Expect something from each of them this year. I would love to take advantage of my resolution to tap into the Babel-size tower that is my TBR pile and revisit Helen McCloy, continue with my series on Christianna Brand and Carter Dickson, and finally begin to dive into the wealth of Patrick Quentin/Q. Patrick/Jonathan Stagge titles I’ve been buying up for five years now. 

There is also the mystery of what rapturous/dubious pleasures Book Club will bring. Given the disparity of tastes within our group, we rarely agree – and when we do, it’s largely to vent our mutual dislike of a title!! But sometimes we get a hold of a masterpiece, and I can only hope that such finds will outnumber the lemons. In case you want to read along, our books for January and February are, respectively, The Wooden Overcoat by Pamela Branch, The Burning Court by some guy named Carr. I’ll keep you informed of what follows!

As far as modern authors go, I just pre-ordered Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief, coming in March. Then there’s A Deadly Episode, the latest Hawthorne mystery by Anthony Horowitz in April, She Walks at Night, the latest translation of a Kosuke Kindaichi mystery by Seishi Yokomizo at the beginning of June, Sweet Spot, Kemper Donovan’s third case for the Ghost Writer at the end of June, and The Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett in August (the plot centers around the Fairway Players trying to put on a production of Christie’s The Hollow – and Issy is back!!!!) 

You should also expect more from other honkaku writers, including Yukito Ayatsuji (I still have The Clock House Murders on my docket, and I believe The Black Cat Mansion Murders is coming out later this year!), Akane Araki, Haruo Yuki and – very exciting! – the return of Alice Arusigawa! There will be more, I’m certain, including more solve-them-yourself mysteries (where I hope and expect to fail miserably)! In terms of non-fiction, I’ve got two late birthday presents on their way, books about the making of Strangers on a Train and Rear Window! I’m very excited!!

ERLE STANLEY GARDNER

No author has distracted me from daily cares so perfectly as Gardner has, and I am excited to dive back into the world of his greatest creation, Perry Mason. The 2026 theme is all set (I must tell you that I’ve already come up with one for 2027!), and it’s so gigantic that I had to pick and choose in order to select the titles for my monthly foray into Mason’s world. I will present the theme and a full list of titles in the next couple of days, and then you can expect new reviews on the 17^th of each month (Mr. Gardner’s birthday was July 17)! I also hope to squeeze in more of the D.A. and Cool & Lam series at some point.

THE THREE AMIGOS

The opportunity to get together with my friends Sergio Angelini and Nick Cardillo and talk for hours about books and films have become highpoints of my year. These tend to turn into “Best of” lists that we draft together, after which I write up the results and present them to you. If you respond to these lists, it makes me very happy. If you do not respond, well . . . consider this a self-indulgence among dear friends. 

Here’s what we’re drafting this year:

• SPRING – The Greatest Detectives in Crime Literature. 
• SUMMER – The Greatest Film Portrayals of Fictional Detectives.
• FALL – The Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid Classic Noir Clip Super Draft. 

The first two drafts are self-explanatory, but the Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid Super Draft may require a bit more explanation. Plaid is a 1982 noir comedy where Steve Martin plays a detective who sets out to solve a mystery that is mostly composed of actual clips from eighteen classic films noirs. We’re going to watch all those classic films and then create a “best of” list. This will be no easy task: just look at the array of fantastic noirs included here!

• Johnny Eager (1941)
• Suspicion (1941)
• This Gun for Hire (1942)
• The Glass Key (1942)
• Double Indemnity (1944)
• The Lost Weekend (1945)
• The Killers (1946)
• Deception (1946)
• Humoresque (1946)
• The Big Sleep (1946)
• The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
• Notorious (1946)
• Dark Passage (1947)
• I Walk Alone (1947)
• Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
• White Heat (1949)
• The Bribe (1949)
• In a Lonely Place (1950)

AGATHA CHRISTIE

Having completed reviews of all the Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries (which you can access via My Agatha Christie Index), you might expect me to tackle the thrillers or stretch out Tommy and Tuppence over a year. Yet these will have to wait. fpr I have a couple of other Christie-centered plots in mind. 

First, my friend author/publisher Teresa Peschel has been shopping around an idea that landed with me, which I’m hoping to turn at least into a series of articles and, if it feels right, a book. I’m still putting my ideas together, but expect to hear more about this soon. 

Secondly, I’m excited to announce that once again I will be participating in the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay. It takes place this year from September 12 – 20, and I’ll be there for at least part of that time, taking part in a couple of events that must remain mysterious for now. 2026 marks the centenary of a crucial year in Christie’s life and career, including the publication of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and the infamous disappearance. I have a feeling that, come September, Torquay will be the place to be if you’re a Christie fan!

That’s enough planning for now! I hope you will come along on this this year’s journey with me. And please feel free to drop a comment on any subject anytime! Or e-mail me at ahsweetmysteryblog@gmail.com. I love to know there are living breathing people out there who are stimulated enough by my words to share their own ideas. Even if we disagree, your opinions often lead me to make new and exciting discoveries! But whether you comment or not, thanks for showing up! 

A Happy New Year to us all!